Federalism and Local Politics in Russia

192 Rostislav Turovskiirepresentative of one of the leading Russian business groups (Interros,including Norilsk Nikel), won the gubernatorial seat in 2002, and Perm Krai(formerly Perm Oblast), where in 2004 local businessman Chirkunovreplaced his business partner, Trutnev, who won the 2000 election. Butusually in wealthy and polycentric regions the elites need a governor with nodirect links to any particular business who can play the role of arbiter.Regional authorities headed by arbiters often turn out to be more robust; byestablishing links with various groups they are more successful in resistingattempts by powerful groups to take power under their control. InKrasnoyarsk Krai and Perm Oblast the diminishing credibility and/orinstability of the previous administration paved the way for a more radicalchange of elites to the advantage of some business groups. But such examplesare rare.Paradoxical, businessmen are more liable to come to power in poor andunderdeveloped regions which depend for their survival on financial aid. InKalmykiya the transfer of power into the hands of the young businessmanIlyumzhinov happened as early as 1993, which was the first case ever inRussian history. 13 Among regions in the central part of Russia, the leastdeveloped are Pskov and Bryansk oblasts. In these regions in 2004 representativesof business elites (Kuznetsov and Denin) came to power. Theeconomic situation in Tver' Oblast was hardly any better, but nonethelessZelenin, a well-known Moscow entrepreneur, was elected as Governor in2004.Special attention should be given to the northern autonomous okrugswhere the number of governors coming from business groups is especiallyhigh. The remote Koryak, Chukotka, Evenkia and Taimyr autonomousokrugs lie in extremely inhospitable natural and climatic zones, and lacksuch a strong resource base as Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenetsautonomous okrugs, the leading producers of oil and natural gas in Russia.Each of the above-mentioned districts has promising deposits of naturalresources, but their exploitation requires huge investments. In such regionsthe population is scarce and the territory is vast. In other words, they arehardly an asset for a businessman. Nonetheless, businessmen have beenwinning elected offices in these regions as well. One of the most powerfulRussian oligarchs, Abramovich, won the 2000 gubernatorial election inChukotka; in 2001 Khloponin became governor of Taimyr (he was laterelected governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai, whereas in Taimyr a representative ofthe same business group, Budargin, took over as Governor); later theYUKOS manager Zolotarev won in Evenkia. Finally, in 2005 Kozhemyako,a prominent fishing tycoon from Primorskiy Krai, became Governor of theKoryak Autonomous Okrug.The remaining examples are taken from relatively large but averagelydeveloped regions. In Primorskiy Krai the 2001 gubernatorial electionbrought to power Dar'kin, who had business interests in fishing and agriculture.Primorskiy Krai, Russia’s gateway to the Asia-Pacific area, has